"The country's social and production forces should unite to tackle the
problems. We should work in such a way that the activities of the
production and social sectors converge to the target set," Economic and
Social Council of Greece (OKE) President Christos Polyzogopoulos stated
on Thursday. He made the comment while exiting then government
headquarters in Athens after attending a meeting of economic and social
partners' representatives with Prime Minister George Papandreou.

Asked to comment on the private sector, he said it has its own rules
but it is necessary to exist and be supported in order to absorb
unemployment.

Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE) President Nikos
Angelopoulos maintained that the government should be supported in
order to lead the country out of the crisis, underlining that this is a
national goal. He stressed that even the painful measures should be
supported and pointed out that politicians and citizens alike are
equally responsible.

"The measures requested by the 'troika' (EU, ECB, IMF) are very tough
but they supply us with time and funds thus allowing us to give a
fight," National Confederation of Hellenic Commerce (ESEE) President
Vassilis Korkidis stated after the meeting with the prime minister,
adding that the country should create a new model of development.

He said that this will not happen overnight and stressed that "we
should take advantage of the transitional phase to the fullest." He
expressed opposition to a VAT increase.

"We will have a sufficient 'safety net' for the next three to four
years which, however, we will have to pay for dearly and at the same
time endure tough measures," Hellenic Confederation of Professionals
Craftsmen and Merchants (GSEVEE) head Dimitris Asimakopoulos stated.

He also expressed opposition to any new VAT increase and to the
abolition of the 13th and 14th salaries (Christmas and Easter-summer
vacation bonuses).

Meanwhile, the umbrella trade union GSEE addressed a letter to
Papandreou on Thursday requesting an urgent meeting in view of the
developments as regards the consultations on the EU/IMF support
mechanism.

Civil servants' union ADEDY general secretary Ilias Iliopoulos said "we
are dealing with a 'finished story' that was discussed in our absence,
as far as the public sector employees are concerned."

Iliopoulos cautioned that "cutting the 13th and the 14th salaries, as
well as pensions, the freezing of the salaries for three years, the
change in the indirect taxes factor and much more that have not been
announced yet will place an additional burden on people's lives."

"The country is experiencing the toughest moment in its post-war
history," GSEE president Yiannis Panagopoulos said, adding that "we are
reacting because the policies followed are unilateral and unfair."

"We will try to limit the intensity of this attack," he said, adding
that "we have already taken a taste of a very tough package of
austerity measures that will lead to economic recession."

"In these crucial times we should support this necessary national
effort," Federation of Hellenic Enterprises (SEV) President Dimitris
Daskalopoulos said, adding that the country has the potential and "we
have the will."

Prime Minister and ruling PASOK President George Papandreou addressed
his party's political council on Thursday saying that the immediate
emergency measures taken by the government regarding the economy
"constitute the strong bridge leading to great changes. To secure the
life of every citizen, to secure that the growth will be dynamic in a
more just society."

Papandreou said that the country was "in the vortex of a crisis which
is in process and which we have never experienced before," pledging
that "our efforts will bear fruit."

The prime minister added that his government was "waging the battle in
order to achieve five targets simultaneously: Saving the country and
protecting citizens; achieving a secure exit from the crisis; creating
the necessary conditions for reforming the country's productive
infrastructure; putting the country on the track towards a viable and
green development and securing social justice."

"Past actions and criminal policies by the previous government force
us, at present, to wage a battle for survival and we are called upon to
take difficult and painful decisions...We will do whatever necessary in
order to save the coumtry," Papandreou noted.

He said that discussions with European Union partners and the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the activation of the support
mechanism would be concluded in the coming days.

"We will leave behind us a period of justified insecurity and we shall
make every effort in order to build a better future for us and our
children," the premier concluded.

EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn on Thursday
said activation of a support mechanism for Greece was a matter of time,
while he expressed his confidence that talks currently under way in
Athens between Greek authorities, the European Commission, the ECB and
the IMF will be completed in the next few days.

Speaking to reporters, Rehn said the talks envisaged a fiscal
restructuring and structural reforms of major significance.

"Funding of Greece by Eurozone countries will be on the precondition of
fiscal restructuring and structural reforms," Rehn said, adding that
Greece must restore the viability of its public finances and put its
economy on a growth track.

The EU Commissioner said this effort was not only for Greece, but for
all Eurozone member-states and their citizens, adding that financial
help to be given to Greece would be a significant breather to deal with
debt problems in the EU.

Party of European Socialists (PES) President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen on
Thursday accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel of mishandling the
Greek debt crisis through her reluctance to commit to helping Greece
and called her a "diminished European figure".

"The lack of a clear commitment and failure to follow-through from the
German Chancellor has caused real hardship for the Greek people. It has
caused the German taxpayer hardship, and ultimately, European Union
hardship. After this failure of leadership, Ms. Merkel is a diminished
European figure", Rasmussen, in a written declaration on the Greek and
Euro-zone crisis.

Stressing that the principle of European solidarity is a financial and
moral necessity, Rasmussen said the "the entire crisis was a series of
false dawns and a chronicle of missed opportunities, now it is
absolutely the time for action".

"The current reluctance to act, particularly by the German Chancellor,
contradicts the very principle upon which the EU was founded. It is a
Conservative smoke signal to speculators that attacks on the euro-zone
is acceptable. European citizens are tired of this cynical coded
language. In a time of hardship people need principled leadership,"
Rasmussen's statement said.

Noting that the principle of European solidarity was a "financial and
moral imperative", the European Socialist leader called for immediate
financial assistance from the Euro-zone states to Greece.

Bilateral relations and Serbia's European prospects were the two main
issues that Prime Minister George Papandreou discussed in Athens on
Thursday with his visiting Serb counterpart Mirko Cvetkovic.

"Greece has steadfastly supported [Serbia's European prospects] from
the first moment," Papandreou said after the meeting, adding that
"Serbia must be made a member of the European family, a place that
rightfully belongs to it, as soon as possible".

An important step in this direction was the move to grant Serbs
visa-free travel to the EU, which was strongly supported by Greece, and
the Serbian Parliament's apology for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre,
which Papandreou described as "brave".

They also spoke about economic cooperation issues, with special
emphasis on tourism during the upcoming summer months.

"The long friendship of the two peoples is reflected in the frequent
high-level visits but also in the great number of Serb citizens that
visit our country each year for their holidays," Papandreou said.

The two prime ministers underlined Greece's leading role on Balkan
issues in the EU, with its 'Agenda 2014' initiative that calls for the
accession of western Balkan states into Europe by that year provided
they meet the terms and conditions of EU entry, including that of good
neighbour relations.

"Serbia is a strategic partner of Greece," Papandreou noted, stressing
the country's important role for peace and prosperity in the region.

Papandreou and Cvetkovic referred to developments in Kosovo, which the
Greek side is following closely. The Greek premier said that Athens
gives priority in the region to stability, growth, improving living
standards, respect for human rights and respect for monuments and
cultural heritage.

"Our participation in Eulex, KFOR and the appointment of the head of
the Liaison Office in Pristina, who is also mediator for the protection
of the religious and cultural heritage of the Serb Orthodox Church in
Kosovo, proves our active dedication," he added.

Cvetkovic referred to the intense talks between Serbia and other Balkan
countries on regional cooperation aiming at European integration, while
thanking Greece for its support on the issue of Kosovo.

Main opposition New Democracy (ND) party leader Antonis Samaras on
Thursday accused the government of being resposnsible for the country's
present economic crisis.

Addressing an Economist conference in Athens, Samaras said that the
government was "wholly responsible, through its handlings after the
October general elections, for the borrowing crisis the country is
experiencing."

"International markets have lost their confidence in the Greek
government and in its ability to handle the situation," the main
opposition leader said, adding that "while other countries, both in and
out of the European Union, also present high fiscal deficits and
excessive public debts, only Greece has become the weak link, due to
the government's wrong choices."

"Even high deficits, even high debts, even again a weak
competitiveness, do not provoke great concerns if the government
inspires confidence that it can make structural moves timely," he
noted.

He also attributed responsibily to the European Union for not having at
place a mechanism of support to countries that face problems.

"Europe is being forced to create hastily a mechanism of support to a
member-state. And then it is forced to hastily resolve all
institutional, legal and financial problems, with many hesitations on
the part of some of its members," Samaras noted.

According to the ND leader, the problem of the Greek economy is due to
the "extensive, unproductive public sector, which employs a personnel
four times greater than the one needed in a modern state."

Explaining his opposition to the International Monetary Fund's (IMF)
implication in supporting Greece, Samaras said he preferred a European
solution. "We would have preferred a help to Greece coming from a
strictly European framework. And because we consider that the
conditions set by the IMF, are by rule pushing an economy deeper into
the vicious circle of hard measures-deep recession-greater
deficits-more hard measures-deeper recession etc."

"The country will not compromise its goals as far as its external
security and defence policy is concerned," Defense Minister Evangelos
Venizelos said on Thursday, addressing the Economist conference in
Athens.

Venizelos referred to the efforts made to reduce the operational costs
of the ministry of defense by 25 pct compared to last year, the
establishment of transparent procedures aimed at ensuring
well-documented defense spending and the creation of a smaller more
efficient army in accordance with modern standards.

Responding to a question on defence spending cuts, Venizelos referred
to recent statements made by Turkish Minister of State Egemen Bagis and
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who backed a mutual
reduction of armaments.

Venizelos stressed, however, that such a move would be the result of
consultations and not a unilateral initiative on behalf our side.

Opposition Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) President George Karatzaferis,
in a radio interview on Thursday, accused ruling PASOK party and main
opposition New Democracy (ND) of being responsible for the massive
economic crisis now plaguing Greece.

Referring to the economy, he said the IMF suggests spending cuts and
tax increases while there is no word about development.

He predicted that the crisis will last a decade and underlined that the
political world should join forces to deal with the crisis.

Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Athens next
month with delegation of 10 ministers aims at substantial deepening and
expansion of the field of cooperation between Greece and Turkey as a
basis for building the rapprochement between the two countries, foreign
ministry spokesman Grigoris Delavekouras said on Thursday during a
regular press briefing.

Erdogan and a delegation of 10 ministers are due for a two-day official
visit to Athens on May 14-15, including the ministers of economy,
foreign trade, European affairs, energy, transports, education, and the
environment.

Replying to press questions, Delavekouras said that the itinerary has
not yet been completed.

He said that the 10 Turkish ministers will arrive in Athens on the
morning of Friday, May 14, and will have bilateral meetings with their
Greek counterparts, while Erdogan will arrive that same afternoon, and
will hold talks with the Greek political and state leadership.

The High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, the creation of which was
decided during Droutsas' recent visit to Ankara and talks with Turkish
foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu, will hold its first meeting in the
afternoon of May 14, after the agreement formally setting up the
Council is signed.

To another question, Delavekouras said that no visit to Thrace by
Erdogan has been scheduled.

Erdogan will leave Greece at noon on Saturday, the foreign ministry
spokesman added.

Greece seeks the adoption of a name with a geographical qualification
in effect for all purposes (ergo omnes) in the UN-mediated FYROM name
negotiations, adding that the name "Republic of Northern Macedonia",
provided the term is applicable ergo omnes, fulfills those conditions,
foreign ministry spokesman Grigoris Delavekouras said on Thursday
during a regular press briefing.

Delavekouras said that a solution to the name issue is possible
immediately, provided the necessary political volition exists.

He said that UN special mediator on the FYROM name issue Matthew Nimetz
has called on the Greek and FYROM negotiators to examine the point at
which the talks are currently, "but it is rather premature to discuss
the Nimetz proposal, at least given the present circumstances in the
other side".

Delavekouras stressed that FYROM prime minister Nikola Gruevski holds
the fate of his country and its Euiropean and Atlantic future, in his
hands.

He further criticised the FYROM leadership for choosing to abuse its
position as current chairman of the Council of Europe to promote its
own positions.

Foreign ministry spokesman Grigoris Delavekouras described as important
the consolidation of any progress and the framework achieved in that
talks on the Cyprus issue, during a regular press briefing on
Thursday.

He added, however, that recent statements by Dervis Eroglu, who won the
recent illegal elections in the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus, gave
cause for concern, and called on Eroglu to take part in the Cyprus
talks "with a constructive stance".

The Citizens' Protection ministry on Thursday announced that it is
investigating the leak of classified and highly classified documents
from the National Intelligence Service (EYP). The documents, which also
included documents containing personal information about employees,
were found in the possession of a NIS executive who had them
illegally.

The ministry said that an inquiry is being conducted in the presence of
a public prosecutor to determine how the documents came to be in his
possession.

Internal inquiries under oath are also being carried out to determine
how sensitive personal data relating to NIS staff was leaked to the
Internet and why a private printer was given the job of printing
ballots for the primary-level trade union bodies in the NIS, thus
leaking information about the service, even though there is an internal
printing office for this purpose.

Also underway is an inquiry by the financial crimes squad SDOE into the
over-pricing of electronic equipment purchased by the NIS.

Greece on Thursday praised a recent Albanian initiative to honor the
fallen Greek soldiers of the Greek-Italian war (1940-41), the first
theatre of conflict in the Balkans during the Second World War.

Foreign ministry spokesman Grigoris Delavekouras underlined that Greece
has stood by Albania and wants the neighbouring country to proceed as
rapidly as possible towards Euro-Atlantic structures.

[14] Cyprus President: Turkey has to allow a true federation in Cyprus

President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias stressed on
Thursday that Turkey has to prove that it respects the territorial
integrity and the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus, which it
violates since 1974, and to give the green light to the Turkish Cypriot
leadership for a serious and effective negotiation to achieve a true
federation.

Addressing the Round Table Discussion organised by The Economist in
Athens, the Cyprus president said that it is imperative that Turkey
abandons the communication tricks and proves in reality that it wants
to solve the Cyprus problem.

Referring to the Cyprus talks, which began between himself and former
Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat in September 2008, he said that
"the progress reached was a result of convergence that we achieved in
the chapter on governance and power sharing but also in the chapters on
the economy and European issues".

"In all other aspects, even in those where we achieved convergence,
significant disagreements and points of divergence were ascertained
that require hard work to bridge", he pointed out.

President Christofias expressed the belief that in the eighteen months
of the discussions with Talat the progress that was achieved could be
greater, if the Turkish Cypriot community had adopted a different
position.

"This would have been achieved had it been truly autonomous and not
under guidance from Turkey, if it had a more constructive stance at the
negotiating table and if it had worked hard to formulate the content of
the solution in a consistent way on the basis of bizonal, bicommunal
federation", he underlined.

Christofias stressed that the Turkish-Cypriot side cannot handle on its
own the Cyprus problem and first and foremost take decisions on the
solution of the problem without the consent and the respective
decisions of Turkey.

"The role of Turkey in solving the Cyprus problem, as indicated in the
Conclusions of the European Council of last December, is crucial," he
recalled.

Reiterating that Cyprus supports the European perspective and the
accession of Turkey to the EU, he said that this could not be a "carte
blanche".

"The progress of its accession course is linked to the degree it
fulfils its obligations. This is a position that Turkey must take into
consideration and adapt its conduct accordingly," he pointed out.

President Christofias expressed his concern over the prospects for a
solution after the change in the Turkish Cypriot leadership.

"The victory of Dervis Eroglu, given his long-held divisive positions
on the Cyprus problem, gave rise to a justified concern in the
international community regarding the prospects of negotiations. We
have to say that we are very much worried as well", he said.

Referring to the content of the letter Eroglu had sent to the UNSG, as
well as his interviews and statements, he said they prove that Eroglu
continues to maintain the same positions on the Cyprus problem, which
are in direct conflict with the UN Resolutions on Cyprus as well as the
1977 and 1979 High Level Agreements.

He explained that Eroglu refers to the existence of "two peoples and
two Republics" in Cyprus.

"But it is well-known that on the basis of the Treaty of Establishment
of the Republic of Cyprus but also the 1960 Constitution, there is only
one people in Cyprus consisting of two communities, the Greek Cypriot
and the Turkish Cypriot. Besides, this is the reason why the High Level
Agreements between the leaders of the two communities provide for
bicommunal federation", he went on to add.

He recalled that the declaration by Turkey of an illegal state, the
so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, in the occupied part in
November 1983, has been condemned by the UN Security Council
Resolutions 541 and 550 as a secessionist act and has been considered
as invalid and they call upon all states not to recognise the illegal
status.

"The political equality to which the UN Resolutions refer and which
Talat accepted, is the political equality of the two communities and
not of two sovereign peoples, as Eroglou supports", Christofias said.

The Cypriot president noted that in Eroglu's statements there is no
reference to bizonal, bicommunal federation which is the agreement
between the two Cypriot communities, and it is also the UN position as
well as the position of European Union's and other international
organizations.

"Eroglu reiterates his position on co-operation of two separate
different states. This is a model of loose confederation and not of a
federation. A federation is a state, confederation is not even a
state", he pointed out.

What is imperative, he said, is to reaffirm the agreed basis on which
talks are carried out for the solution of a bizonal, bicommunal
federation with political equality as described in the respective UN
Resolutions, on one state with one and only sovereignty, one
nationality and one international identity. It is also imperative to
continue the negotiations in the framework of the same procedure from
the point they were interrupted.

"There is an essential reason for doing this and it is related to the
solution sought. Reaffirmation of the basis of the solution will not
allow any of the two sides, and especially Eroglu with his well-known
divisive positions, to deviate from what both communities have agreed",
he stressed.

He called upon the international community and the EU to assume their
responsibilities and move towards the direction of Eroglu and Turkey
and ask them to clarify their positions.

President Christofias said that the international aspects of the Cyprus
problem also need to be solved, namely, the presence of Turkish troops
that occupy, in violation of the international law, a large part of the
territory of the Republic of Cyprus since 1974, the presence of tens of
thousands of settlers that Turkey has illegally installed in the
northern occupied part of the Republic of Cyprus, thus altering the
demographic character of the country, the issues regarding security and
guarantees which are unnecessary for a member state of the EU.

"A peaceful, reunified and prosperous Cyprus is my vision", he said,
pledging that "I shall continue to dedicate all my efforts in order to
make this vision a reality".

Concluding, the Cypriot President said that the reunified Federal
Republic of Cyprus shall be the solid ground on which Greek Cypriots
and Turkish Cypriots will build their common future and, at the same
time, each community will be able to cultivate its distinct cultural,
religious and linguistic identity.

Financial News

[15] Culture and Tourism Minister to hold series of meeting in Saudi
Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Dubai

Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos will pay visits from May
1 to 4 to Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, where he will hold a
series of meetings focusing on the promotion of the Greece's
development opportunities, the attraction of investments and the
promotion of Greek tourism and culture.

On Saturday, May 1, Geroulanos will meet with Riyadh's Provicial
Governor Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, head of the King Faisal Center
for Research and Islamic Studies Prince Turki Al Faisal, and Saudi
Arabia's minister of Culture and Information Dr. Abdulaziz Khoja,
respectively.

On Sunday Geroulanos will head to Abu Dhabi, where he will stay until
Tuesday.

On Monday he will hold talks with United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister
of Higher Education and Scientific Research Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak
Al Nahyan, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and of the Abu
Dhabi Authority For Culture and Heritage Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al
Nahyan, and with UAE Minister of Culture, Youth and Community
Development and Chairman of the National Council of Tourism and
Antiquities (NCTA) Abdel Rahman Bin Mohammed Al Owais.

On Tuesday Geroulanos will go to Dubai to visit the "Arabian Travel
Market" exhibition, and meet with Dubai Department of Tourism and
Commerce Marketing director general Khalid A. bin Sulayem and tour
operators.

The travel exhibition "15th Tourism Panorama" will open its doors to
the public on Friday at the Zappeion Center's courtyard in Athens.
Prefectures, municipalities and local administration organisations,
together with travel agents and professionals, will provide information
to visitors and offer attractive tourism packages.

This year's exhibition will present two new themes: "go green" and "go
culture", focusing on viable development, agrotourism and alternative
forms of tourism as well as new proposals for professionals and
travellers.

The exhibition will also showcase the cultural heritage of the various
regions of the country as well as presentations of local products and
the products of farmers' co-operatives.

Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister Angela Gerekou referred to the
potential of new digital services in tourism, while addressing the 15th
Tourism Panorama exhibition on Thursday.

Among new digital services in the tourism sector she mentioned
e-booking and social media marketing as new ways of handling the
tourist product, stressing that these were being promoted by both the
public and private sectors.

According to Gerekou, the new bywords at the ministry were the terms
'go-green' and 'go-culture', signifying the new prospects linked to
green development in tourism and exploiting Greece's cultural heritage
at the same time as respecting its environment.

Net funding to Greek enterprises and households turned negative in
March, the Bank of Greece announced on Thursday.

In a monthly report, the central bank said net funding flow was -565
million euros, to a total debt of enterprises and households of 254.8
billion euros. The annual growth rate of credit expansion in the
country slowed further to 3.5 pct in March, down from 3.9 pct in
February.

Specifically, net funding to domestic enterprises was a negative 639
million euros for annual growth rate of 4.3 pct in March, from 4.9 pct
in February. Total debt to banks was 135.1 billion euros at the end of
the first quarter of 2010. Credit expansion grew faster in the
agriculture and tourism sectors, while it slowed or remained almost
unchanged in all other sectors of the economy.

Credit expansion in the manufacturing sector remained negative (-1.3
pct in March, -3.0 pct in February), while the commerce sectors managed
to maintain a positive growth rate (0.5 pct in March, 1.6 pct in
February). Other Financial Institutions (8.5 pct) and Tourism (8.2 pct)
recorded high annual growth rates in March.

Households' debt to banks totaled 119.6 billion euros, with net funding
flow remaining a positive 74 million euros in March. Credit expansion
growth was 2.7 pct in March, unchanged from February, but down from 3.1
pct in December 2009. Consumer loans recorded a negative flow of 105
million euros, with the annual growth rate at 1.0 pct, unchanged from
February.

Strikes by Athens public transport staff will mark the Labour Day
celebrations on May 1, with early morning work stoppages by buses, the
electric railway and the metro and full-day strikes by OSE trains and
the Proastiakos railway.

Specifically, staff on the ETHEL buses, trolley buses, metro, ISAP
electric railway and the tram will only strike from the start of their
shift until 7:00 in the morning on Saturday, meaning that they will
work essentially as normal throughout the rest of the day.

More seriously affected will be commuters using Greek Railways (OSE)
trains throughout the country and the Proastiakos line, where there
will be a 24-hour strike starting at midnight, meaning that later
services on April 30 will also be affected.

The Coordinating Committee of Greek bar associations on Thursday
announced that all lawyers throughout the country will abstain from
their duties on May 5, 2010 - the same day as a strike called by the
General Confederation of Employees of Greece (GSEE) - in protest over
the state of Greek justice and the backlog of cases in courts.

"The state of Justice is deteriorating, cases are being given trial
dates in 2012 and 2013 and the number of cases concluded each day is
constantly being reduced and does not exceed four on average, while
there are thousands of court decisions that are not yet written up," an
announcement notes, saying the situation amounted to a refusal to
administer justice.

Bar associations also object to what they called the systematic
undermining of their profession as an institution.

The two main associations representing retail traders and small
businesses in Greece - the traders and artisans confederation GSEBEE
and the National Confederation of Commerce (ESEE) - on Thursday
announced that they were calling for the closure of shops and
businesses after 12:30 next Wednesday.

The two organisations said that they would participate in this way in
strike action decided on that day by Greece's largest umbrella trade
union for private-sector workers, the General Confederation of
Employees of Greece (GSEE), in protest against government austerity
measures.

"From the moment that the overwhelming majority of (Organisation for
the Insurance of Freelance Professionals) OAEE pensioners lives on
starvation pensions and our organisation is threatened with collapse,
from the moment that the majority of self-employed, small and
middle-sized professionals, traders and artisans are waging a rather
unequal battle to keep their businesses afloat and the jobs in these,
at a time when the number of those struggling to meet their daily
obligations is rising, the 'recommendations and demands' of the
observers for further austerity measures can only cause indignation,"
they say in an announcement.

The SMEs call for measures to reinforce the social state and social
insurance system, rather than further downgrading this and a
development plan in which small businesses will play a key role along
with a growth model that generates economic stability, wealth and
prospects for all while sharing burdens and benefits fairly.

They also stress that owners of small and medium-sized businesses have
no social "safety net" when they fail, while their insurance
organisation is the least privileged in the country.

Greece's Finance ministry on Thursday announced its has raised a VAT
level for the use of sports facilities to 21 pct, from April 23. In a
circular, the finance ministry said the new VAT covered all use of
sports facilities for training of sports events in swimming, track,
tennis, bowling, basket ball, football, etc. The circular also said
that tele-heating services would be included in the low VAT level of 10
pct.

Greece's Producer's Price composite index in the industrial sector
(measuring both the domestic and external markets) jumped 8.7 pct in
March, compared with the same month last year, after a decline of 7.3
pct recorded in March 2009, the Hellenic Statistical Authority said on
Thursday.

The statistics agency attributed the rise to a 7.9 pct increase in the
domestic market producer's price index and an 11.6 pct rise in the
external market index. The PPI rose 1.4 pct in March from February
2010.

Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling on Thursday reported a 26 pct increase in
its comparable operating earnings to 52 million euros in the first
quarter of 2010, compared with the corresponding period last year.

Comparable net earnings totaled 25 million euros in the January-March
period, from 7.0 million euros last year, while net cash flows totaled
65 million euros, up 56 million euros compared with the same period in
2009. The volume of sales totaled 431 million boxes, down 2.0 pct from
2009, while net revenue from sales was 1.377 billion euros, unchanged
from last year.

Doros Konstantinou, chief executive of Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling,
commenting on the results said the company's profitability improved in
the first quarter reflecting benefits from the implementation of
cost-cutting measures last year, combined with the positive impact of
foreign currency fluctuations in several markets. He said the company
saw encouraging signs of economic stability in emerging and developing
markets, although the company remained cautious.

Stocks staged a spectacular recovery in the Athens Stock Exchange on
Thursday, reflecting investors' confidence over a timely activation of
an EU/IMF support mechanism for Greece. Buying interest focused on bank
shares. The composite index soared 7.14 pct to end at 1,829 points,
with turnover a strong 357.657 million euros.

The Greek electronic secondary bond market remained frozen for the
second consecutive session on Thursday, with no transactions made
during the day. Bank of Greece officials said he expected the market to
return to normal operations from Monday.

The June contract on the FTSE 20 index was trading at a reduced
discount (-0.71 pct) in the Athens Derivatives Exchange on Thursday,
with turnover at 134.278 million euros. Volume on the Big Cap index
totaled 24,912 contracts worth 108.180 million euros, with 33,875 open
positions in the market.

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank:

U.S. dollar 1.336

Pound sterling 0.874

Danish kroner 7.501

Swedish kroner 9.703

Japanese yen 125.76

Swiss franc 1.446

Norwegian kroner 7.905

Canadian dollar 1.339

Australian dollar 1.438

General News

[30] Interview with archaeologist Dr. Stephen G Miller: British Museum
no longer has any excuse to keep Parthenon Marbles

He arrived in Greece in the '70s as a young archaeologist aspiring to
bring to light the kingdom of legendary Ulysses or, at least, the
palaces of King Phillip of Macedon. Destiny, however, and the
University of California at Berkeley, led Dr. Stephen G. Miller to
Nemea in the Peloponnese, southern Greece, where he unearthed the
ancient stadium of the Nemean Panhellenic Games.

In an interview with ANA-MPA's "Greek Diaspora" magazine, Miller said
the excavation was carried out very cautiously, and frequently with
bare hands.

"The first time I visited Greece I felt a sense of national identity,"
he said, adding: "I felt that I've always belonged here and will belong
here forever."

Dr. Miler recently spent nine months at the site, despite the fact that
he is no longer the director of the excavations. Moreover, he has
played a decisive role in the revival of the Nemean Games in their
ancient form. Participating athletes are obligated to wear attire
similar to those worn by their fellow athletes during antiquity.

"I believe that this re-enactment and revival of the ancient Nemean
Games makes us all feel a part of this magnificent Greek history," he
says.

Referring to propaganda attempts following the breakup of the former
Yugoslavia to cast doubt on the Hellenic nature of the ancient kingdom
of Macedonia, he said the ancient Greeks of the 7th century BC
considered the Macedons as fellow Hellenes, adding that "their Greek
identity is obvious given that the inscriptions of the ancient Macedons
were written in Greek".

Furthermore, based on the archaeological findings, the Macedonians
participated in the Games of Nemea as one of the Greek tribes and this
is an indisputable fact.

Turning to another subject, he said the New Acropolis Museum is
exceptional, and stressed that the British Museum no longer has any
excuse to keep in London the Parthenon Marbles, "the epitome of ancient
perfection, the cornerstone of Western civilisation, of beauty and
symmetry."

"If my hand was missing, wouldn't I ask for it back? The answer is
self-evident," he continued.

He stated that isolated sculptures such as the Aphrodite of Milos
(Venus di Milo) or the Nike of Samothrace would continue to be on
display at the Louvre, or other such artifacts in museums throughout
the world, in order to showcase the perfection of the ancient Greek
spirit.

"But the Parthenon Marbles must be returned to their home, to be housed
in the New Acropolis Museum, to complete their historic whole," he
added.

[31] Three 'Revolutionary Struggle' terrorist group suspects admit
involvement in letter to newspaper

Three of the six people arrested and charged with involvement in the
Revolutionary Struggle terrorist group in a coordinated police swoop on
April 11 have admitted participation in the group in a letter to the
weekly newspaper "Pontiki" appearing on Thursday.

The letter, signed by Panagiota (Pola) Roupa, her husband Nikos
Maziotis and Constantine Gournas, also says that Lambros Fountas, a
35-year-old biologist who was killed in a shootout with police in the
Dafni district of Athens, was one of their "comrades" in the group.

In the letter, the three suspects -- who together with the other three
detainees have been jailed pending trial -- say they are "proud" of
their group, adding that "the struggle will continue".

"They will not be done with us easily," the letter says, charging that
"it is not we who are the terrorists, but the Authority".

The three suspects called prime minister George Papandreou and citizens
protection minister Michalis Chryssohoidis "terrorists" and, listing
the Revolutionary Struggle's actions one-by-one, said they were not
"acts of terrorism of the people who, in their majority, approve
them".

The letter further includes an extensive reference to the economic
crisis and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the present
situation in Greece, adding that the "objective conditions" are "ripe
for revolution", and what remains is for "the subjective conditions to
ripen" as well.

Five individuals, armed with hammers and wearing hoods over their
heads, stormed into the political office of Deputy Environment, Energy
and Climate Change Minister Thanos Moraitis in the district of
Exarchia, Athens, at midday on Thursday.

The assailants fled the scene after slightly injuring an employee and
causing extensive material damage to the deputy minister's office who
was absent at the time.

A private security company armoured car transferring money on behalf of
the Bank of Greece was held up in the city of Tripolis, southern
Greece, on Thursday morning and the robbers made off with 500,000
euros.

The three armed robbers, who were riding motorcycles and wore helmets
covering their faces, opened fire on the armoured car and injured one
of the three private security officers after hitting him over the head
with a gun butt before snatching 5 bags containing half a million
euros. A manhunt is underway in the prefecture of Arcadia for their
arrest.

The private security officers had undertaken to transfer a total of
thirteen bags with 1,150,000 euros from the Bank of Greece branch in
Tripolis to Agricultural Bank of Greece (ATE) branches in the cities of
Argos, Astros and Megalopolis.

The robbery took place while the security personnel were unloading some
of the bags with the money to a second armoured car.

A Greek Post Office (EL.TA) employee was arrested and charged with
planning and organising a major heist of roughly three million euros
last January in Petralona district of central Athens targeting an
armoured car at the moment it was transferring cash bags, police said
Thursday.

Authorities in Athens and the western port city of Patras arrested the
36-year-old in Patras on Sunday, attracted by a bevy of luxury cars the
man purchased and his extravagant lifestyle.

The first suspect reportedly pointed to a 32-year-old EL.TA employee as
the mastermind of the robbery, who was an armed guard in the armoured
car that was robbed. A third man is still wanted in the case.

Two robbers, both in police uniform, shot the 32-year-old during the
attack, in order to divert suspicion away from him, snatched the money
and fled, according to reports.

Police found in the possession of the 36-year-old a total of 85,000
euros, while another 100,000 euros were found in a bank safe deposit
box. A luxury car he had bought with robbery money was also seized. The
suspect had been accused many times in the past of robberies and other
crimes and had received a 25-year-sentence but in 2007 was released
from prison on conditions.

The 32-year-old ELTA employee was arrested on Wednesday. A luxury SUV
and other two cars found in his possession were seized.

A police investigation is underway to locate the rest of the stolen
money and arrest the third suspect.

A large quantity of contraband cigarettes, corresponding to roughly 1.7
million euros in unpaid tariffs and taxes, was discovered and seized on
Thursday morning by the Attica prefecture financial crimes squad
(SDOE).

Roughly 505,000 packs of contraband foreign brand cigarettes were
confiscated after a search in a container that had arrived in the Port
of Piraeus on April 9 from Malaysia. According to the accompanying
documents, the container contained office lamps.

A Supreme Court prosecutor on Thursday ordered local public prosecutors
to carry out inquiries into suspicions that matches in the Greek
football tournament may have been 'fixed', acting on a list tabled in
Parliament by Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) MP Athanassios Plevris of
27 games judged 'slightly suspect' to 'highly corrupt' in a UEFA
report.

Public prosecutors are expected to start calling club officials and
players of the teams involved to testify during the coming week.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's and IMF chief Dominique Strauss
-Kahn's statements on the immediate activation of the support mechanism
after their talks in Berlin, and the reforms and the changes to local
administration contained in the "Kallikratis" plan, dominated the
headlines on Thursday in Athens' headlines.

The Plenary of the House of Representatives approved on Thursday the
bill for the financial aid of 60,6 million Euro to Greece.

The relevant bill was submitted on Thursday before the House Plenary,
it was declared as urgent, and was examined by the Parliamentary

Committee on Financial and Budgetary Affairs at the presence of Finance
Minister Charilaos Stavrakis and the Director General of the Ministry
the same day.

During the afternoon session of the Plenary, Stavrakis and Members of
the House noted that the Cyprus financial aid to Greece may increase,
if the final amount of the aid from the Eurozone changes.

The leaders of the EU member states of the Eurozone decided on March
25, 2010, to take effective and coordinated measures to protect the
financial stability of Eurozone, if needed.

On the basis of that decision, the leaders decided that in the case the
aid to Greece from the markets is inadequate, a coordinated support
from all the members of the Eurozone, along with the International
Monetary Fund, should be provided.

The support will be given to Greece in the form of coordinated
bilateral loans, which will be gathered by the European Commission and
will be converted to a unified loan that will be given to Greece under
very tough conditions.

Cyprus' contribution is estimated to 60.6 million Euro with the overall
aid from the Eurozone states to be around 30 billion Euro.

Based on today's data, the fixed interest of the three-year loan will
be around 5%.

According to the report of the Finance Parliamentary Committee, the
Finance Minister stated that the details of the final plan for the
financial support to Greece by the Eurozone member states have not yet
been confirmed.

Finance Minister: Cyprus' share to Greek bailout may rise to 180 mln

Cyprus' contribution to the EU-IMF rescue plan for Greece will possibly
rise up to 180 million euro, Finance Minister Charilaos Stavrakis said,
as reports raise the final amount of the EU aid package to Greece to 90
billion euro.

Speaking to the press after an urgent meeting of the Parliamentary
Committee of Financial and Budgetary Affairs to debate the bill for a

61 million euro aid to Greece, Stavrakis said that Cyprus has an
obligation to contribute 2 per mille of the total amount of the EU
rescue plan for Greece, adding that the final amount still remains
fluid.

Noting that the initial amount of the rescue plan was at 30 billion
euro, Stavrakis added that ''it seems that the total amount which may
be necessary is much larger'' and recalled press reports raising the
final amount to 90 billion.

He noted that if the total amount will reach 90 billion, Cyprus'
contribution would be 180 million.

Asked on the impact of the loan to Greece on the Cypriot economy,
Stavrakis said that this amount does not affect the budget deficit,
adding that the loan will increase the public debt.

''Surely (the loan) increases public debt because we will also have to
borrow or use our liquid assets to lend Greece and therefore there will
be a small increase of the public debt,'' he pointed out.

Stavrakis explained that in case the whole amount of 180 million will
be disbursed, Cyprus public debt would rise by one percentage point
from 55% today to 56%.